Making Art Accessible

ORIGIN

Bringing over 55 artists work to new audiences in Worcester, Massachusetts to celebrate the official launch of Juniper Mag.

Many people feel some disconnect when it comes to the art world. Many buyers are hesitant simply because they do not have the experience of purchasing art from artists. Juniper Rag creates paths to accessibility and welcomes all artists, buyers and admirers. We want to welcome all in a comfortable and complete way to connect with art. No stranger to introducing people to art, Michelle May has been on a mission to reimagine how people experience creativity for decades, with Cirque du Noir, an all black attire masquerade to raise funds for art organizations. At the event, guests watched live art fusions, where several artists collaborated on a collection of canvases. Live ballet, modern and hip-hop dancers weaved in and out next to bystanders before the floor opened to allow them a full montage, to the tunes of AC/DC’s Hells Bells, Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant song, Lourde, Confident by Demi Lovato and mashup of lively hip-hop. Live music was also featured at every event with bands like Vapors of Morphine, Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, Pistol Whipped, Ryan Flaherty of Muddy Ruckus, Esthema, Goli, Jaggery Lauren Ann Baker at age 14 and many more. A silent auction was also featured at each event, as well as food from top restaurants in Worcester, Massachusetts. The mission was to introduce new people to the culture of the city. A person may like fine dining, but would not wander into a dive bar to hear better music than they can serve up in Austin, Texas. Yes, we will stake a claim. They may come to score a great piece of art in the auction, but not realize that they would see live artists creating new work before their eyes. This fusion of culture, challenging the status quo in a city where people may get trapped in routine only happened once a year, so this is why Juniper Rag was created. Every year, new guests were excited by their discovery and each year, they would arrive with more friends. The pandemic really forces us to dive in and connect with our audience in a new way.

Aspiring art buyers do not have to tiptoe around, because each issue of the magazine opens up a world of artists and their work. Why spend $100 on a mass-produced print when you can buy original art from an emerging artist at the start or their career? Supporting artists in your own community just feels good too. There are byproducts to you buying art. Think of the way an artist feels when they know you love their work and want to hang it in your space. It is a really cool exchange that happens when patrons purchase art from a person, not a store. The consumer landscape of buying art is changing. Creativity is a sought-after discipline these days. Generations of people are getting acquainted with the art world in a new way. Social media has a lot to do with that. Humans devour beautiful and curious imagery. People that have not had the privilege, means or exposure are connecting with new equitable ways to consume art. We uniquely combine the immersive power of the internet with the experience of engaging with artists, their process, their inspirations and their unique stories. Making that human connection through storytelling, combined with the visuals in the magazine and on social media, introduce artists to new audiences, new opportunities and build a how-to pathway for them.

Managing the business of art is a huge challenge, when your main focus is creating the work. That is where Juniper Rag really steps in to bridge the gap for artists. Between the digital experience and the physical connection with the magazine and exhibitions, we are rapidly facilitating sales growth for our artists. We are a content-consuming culture, whether we like it or not. We decided to do some good with that voracious appetite and support our creative community. We want to make art accessible, demystify the art world and drive change for artists who are willing to collaborate for success. We focus on all artists creating original artwork, especially those significant artists who we see something special in and those who committed to making art that advocates for equity, sustainability, and a forward-thinking approach to self expression in regards to societal influences and the world we are experiencing. We have a knack for seeing talent. Our curators are also chosen with the same selective criteria we hold ourselves to. We seek all visual artists that are underrepresented with high potential and balance gender and diversity in our roster. Recently, we had a conversation with Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council about the Racial Equity Plan being rolled out to learn as much as we can directly from the top. BIPOC artists are greatly underrepresented but we feel that the tables are shifting and we want to be an impactful participant in that shift.

We just celebrated our 1 year anniversary, with ORIGIN, an in-person national exhibition featuring the work of over 55 artists from around the United States. We are hearing from these artists about the impact that their participation in Juniper Rag has had on their sales. We want to do more, so we just launched our online Art Market and we are adding new artists weekly. We are collaborating with CUSP Gallery and Curtis Speer to feature a solo show for Robin Reynolds this spring, also featuring the work of Julia CR Gray. In July, we will feature 138 artists in Artists on Fire in collaboration with the Worcester Center for Crafts and help to fill their art vendor positions at Hot Night in the City art festival that happens on the same night of the opening. During this time we have been asked to participate as jurors for the Curator in Residence at Hopkinton Center for the Arts and curate a Newton community art exhibition at Nearby Gallery. We are committed to the success of artists who submit their work to Juniper Rag. We look forward to other pop-up events, in-home exhibitions and workshops too. Get connected. Say hello. We would love to learn more about consumer art needs, artist marketing needs and of course, collaborations with new creative businesses.

Please share your experience with us, either as a passive reader, a curious voyeur, an art buyer, or as an artist. We want to hear your experience and feedback so that we may always improve.

Cheers to the spring & summer seasons!

Happy art experiences to all,

Michelle